Valve structure



Feb. 2l, 1956 w. A. RAY 2,735,447

VALVE STRUCTURE Original Filed May l1, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor: Ll//LL/AM A. PAY,

23 u 24 /25 Gttorncgl.

Feb. 21, 1956 w, A. RAY 2,735,447

VALVE STRUCTURE Original Filed May l1, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 6k 7a a Snoentor Gttorneg W. A. RAY

VALVE STRUCTURE Feb. 21, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed May 11, 1945 Imventor:

LVM/AM A. QAY,

Cittorneg.

W. A. RAY

VALVE STRUCTURE Feb. 2l, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed May 11, 1946 MJ, Q4, mlm www 11 2%. 7 3 mw 3 w m im 7 3 w m f A 3 0 7 ,W 9 5 W NM ,w O 3 5 3 9 7 V4-2l (Ittorneg.

VALVE srnncrnnn William A. Ray, North Holiywood, Calif., assigner to General Controls Co., Glendaie, Calif., a corporation of California Original application May 11, 1946, eriai No. 669,037, now Patent No. 2,566,372, dated September 4, 1951. Divided and this application April 9, 1951, Serial No. 220,033

2 Claims. (Cl. 137 63i}.19)

This invention relates to valve structures and more particularly to one disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 669,037, filed May il, 1946 and issued September 4, 1951 as patent No. 2,566,372, of which the present application is a division.

This valve structure comprises a main valve of the rotary-plug type, a momentarily-operable supplementary valve biased to one controlling position, and a common handle for manually operating both of the valves; an object of this invention being to avoid the possibility or" the supplementary valve being prevented from returning to its biased position, after it is operated by the handle and the same then released, because of the relatively high degree of friction usually existing between a valveplug and its seat; this object being accomplished by the provision of a lost-motion connection, between the handle and the valve-plug, such as to permit movement of the handle and return of the supplementary valve to its biased position, upon release of the handle, without requirement for movement of the valve-plug.

A valve structure of the character described has particular utility in a gas-burner control system of the safetyshutoi type which includes a main burner and a pilot burner, and automatic valve means responsive to the ame of the pilot burner for supplying gas to the same only while the iiame exists; the supplementary valve described in the preceding paragraph then serving for temporarily supplying gas to the pilot burner and being operable (to open position) only while the plug valve (controlling supply of gas to the main burner) is in closed position.

For full understanding of the invention, and further appreciation of its objects and advantages, reference is to be had to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a combination valve structure embodying the present invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views taken respectively along the lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. l;

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary sections taken respectively along the lines 4 4 and 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Figures 6 and 6a are fragmentary sections taken, respectively, along the lines 6 6 and 6ft-6a of Fig. 2, showing the flow-controlling passages in the upper and lower sections of the plug valve 20;

Figures 7, 7a and 8, 8a are views similar to those of Figs. 6, 6a with the plug 23 in moved positions;

Figure 9 is a graph illustrating the various iiow-controlling functions of the plug 23;

Figure l 1s a diagrammatic view of a burner control system embodying the valve structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8;

Figure 11 is a view, corresponding generally to that of Fig. 2, of .i modified form of combination valve structure;

Figure l2 is a diagrammatic view of a modiiied form 2,735,447 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 of burner control system including the valve structure illustrated in Fig. 11;

Figures 13 and 14 are diagrammatic views of still further modiiied forms of burner control systems; and

Figure l5 is a fragmentary section of the plug valve 20 as modied for use in the systems of Figs. 13 and 14.

Referring lirst to Figs. 1-8 of the drawing, the combination valve structure shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a manually-operable valve structure and an electromagnetic valve, generally indicated in Fig. 1 by the numerals 20 and 21, respectively. In Fig. l, the vertical arrows indicate the direction of main iiow through the valve 20, and the horizontal arrows the direction of iiow through valve 21.

The valve structure 20 comprises a casing 22 having a tapered bore or seat for a rotatable tapered plug 23 which is maintained in seated condition by the force of a spring 24 compressed between the bottom of the plug and a plate 25 covering the open bottom end of the casing. Through the lower portion or section of the plug 23 is a main opening 26 (Fig. 3) which, when the plug is turned through from its position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, registers with an inlet and an outlet opening 27 and 28 (Fig. 3) in the casing. In the side surface of the upper portion of the plug is a groove 29 which co operates with an inlet and an outlet passage 30 and 31, respectively (Fig. 2), in the casing.

In a thickened portion of the side wall of casing 22 is a vertical bore 32 which joins the passage 31; the bore being restricted toward its upper end to form a seat for a ball 33 (urged toward seating position by the force of a spring 34 backed by an adjusting screw 35) which controls communication between the passage 31 and another passage 36 branched from bore 32. Resting on the ball 33 is an actuating pin 37 which is closely guided in a relatively long opening through the top wall of the casing.

The fiat-sided stem 38 of the plug 23 is within an elongated opening, through the top wall of the casing, encompassed by a tubular extension 39. Within this extension is a cupped member 40 having in its bottom wall an opening itting the plug-stem 38; four spaced iingers 4i extending outwardly and upwardly from the mouth of the cup, as is better seen in Fig. 5 (for the sake of clarity, the extension 39 is not shown in this figure). Around the extension 39 is a sleeve 42, to the iiared bottom end of which a ball-race 43 is secured as by welding. This race, together with balls 44, forms a ball-bearing support for the sleeve 42 and is held in place by a snap-ring 45 cooperating with a shoulder formed on the extension 39. Providing a lost-motion connection between the sleeve 42 and the plug-operating member 40 is an arm 46 the extremities of which are received in conforming slots in the sleeve; the inner or middle portion of the arm lying between the lingers 41 of member 40. Secured to the arm 46, by a screw 47, is a handle 48 comprising a cupped portion fitting over the sleeve 42 and having projections 49 formed to provide inner recesses for receiving the extremities of arm 46; an extra projection 49' being provided so that, if desired, the handle may be attached at another position 90 to that shown. Extending integrally from the ballrace 43 is a lug 5@ which is cooperable with a lever 51 pivoted ina recess in the casing (Fig. 4) and in engagement with the head of the ball-.valve pin 37. From the foregoing it is apparent that the plug 23 can be rotated by manipulation of handle 48, and when the handle is turned from its shown position through a small angle in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 5) the valveball 33 is unseated; the force of spring 34 suicing to return the handle to its original position, when released, due to the lost-motion connection between the arm 46 and lingers 41, and also due to the anti-friction mounting of the handle assembly.

In the absence of this lost-motion connection, if the handle were merely released after ball 33 were unseated there would then be the danger of the handle remaining unmoved because of the friction between plug 23 and its seat, so that gas could escape to the pilot burner. The provision, for a different purpose, of a lost-motion connection between a valve-plug and its handle is disclosed in my Patents No. 2,257,024 and No. 2,403,611.

As can be seen in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the groove 29 in the upper section or plug 23 extends only part-way around, so that when the plug is in the position of Fig. 6 communication between the passages 30 and 31 is obstructed; the main opening 26 through the lower section of the plug (shown in Figs. 6a, 7a and 8a) then also being in flow-averting position. When the plug is rotated in a clockwise direction through 90 from the position of Figs. 6, 6a to that of Figs. 7, 7a, fluid can pass through both sections of the plug; and when the plug is rotated through an additional 90 to the position of Figs. 8, 8a (which corresponds to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3), fluid can still pass through the upper section, but the main tlow is obstructed. The positions of the plug-openings, when the plug is rotated through an additional small angle to unseat the valve-ball 33 as described above, are indicated by the broken lines in Figs. 8, 8a. These conditions of the plug valve are graphically illustrated in Fig. 9 wherein the heavy lines bearing the legends Main Valve On and Pilot Valve On indicate ow through the main openings 27-28, and through passages 30-31, respectively; the legend By-Pass Open referring to the unseated condition of the valve-ball 33. The straight lines in Fig. 9 numbered generally 6, 7 and 8 relate to the like-numbered tigures of the drawing, as well as to the lower sections 6a, 7a and Sa; also, the solid and broken-line positions of the handle 48, as shown in Fig. 5, correspond in angular relation to the numbered lines of Fig. 9.

The electromagnetic valve 2i comprises a casing 52 which is secured to the casing 22 of plug valve 20 by screws 53 (Fig. l) in flanged portions of the two casings. In the casing 52 is an inlet passage 54 (in register with the passage 3l of the plug valve) from which a branch passage 55 leads to a valve chamber S6 above the casing. In this chamber is a disk-shaped closure 57, of magnetizable material, which normally has three-point support on a valve seat 58 (raised around an outlet port 59) and a pair of pins 60. By this arrangement, generally disclosed in my Patent No. 2,294,42l of September l, 1942, only a small amount of power is required to eect initial tilting action of the closure on its seat; the resultant relief of uid pressure in the chamber 56 facilitating movement of the closure to its fully-open position. The port 59 leads to an outlet passage 61 which is also in communication with the passage 36 of plug valve 20.

On top of the casing 52 is an electromagnet comprising an inverted cup-shaped magnetic shell 62 to which is welded a flanged supporting-ring 63, also of magnetic material. A central core 64 is bolted to the top wall of shell 62, the tapered enlargement 65 of the core affording intimate engagement between the parts. The bottom end of core 64 is formed to provide a polar enlargement 66, the pole-face of which is in the plane of the poleface of shell 62 defined by the underside of its inwardlyturned ange 67. When the electromagnet is energized by passage of current (preferably D. C.) through its coil 68, the closure-armature 57 is attracted to open position as described above (against gravity, and against lluid pressure acting on its top when tluid is supplied to the valve chamber 56 by way of the inlet passages 54-55).

The system of Fig. l0 includes apparatus corresponding to the combination valve structure shown in Figs.

l-Sa and described hereinabove; the parts therefore being designated in Fig. l0 by the same reference numerals; the part indicated at 33', however, being intended to represent the complete valve constituted by ball 33. The other of these parts in Fig. 10 are: plug valve 20, electromagnetic valve 21, coil 68 of valve 21, pin 37 for actuating valve 33, handle-lug 50 cooperable with pin 37, and passage 61 by-passing valve 21. The system of Fig. 10 further includes a conduit 71-71 for supplying fluid fuel, such as ordinary gas, to a main burner 72. Connected in series in this conduit is a pair of valves, one of them (indicated at Ztl) being the main or lower section (controlled by the plug opening 26) of the plug valve, the other an electromagnetic valve 73 which may be of the same type as valve 21 (but of greater flow-capacity), lor of the electrically-controlled uid-pressure-operated type, such as the diaphragm valve disclosed in my Patent No. 2,294,693 of September l, 1942.

The inlet passage 30 of the upper section of the plug valve is connected by a pipe 74 to the conduit 71 ahead of the valve 73, the outlet passage 31 being connected directly to the inlet 54 of the electromagneticyalve'21, as shown in Fig. 2. From the outlet of valve 21a pipe 75 leads to a pilot burner 76, the ame 77 of which serves as means for igniting the main burner. Arranged to be heated by another flame 77 of the pilot burner is a thermoelectric generating device 78 comprising a plurality of thermocouples connected in series to form a thermopile. The generating device 78 is connected by wires 79 to the energizing coil 80 of valve 73 in series with an automatic control device 81 which, for example, may be a thermostat responsive to the temperature of a room or space heated by the main burner 72. Branching from wires 79 are other wires 82 which connect the coil 68 of valve 21 directly to the generator. It is to be understood that in place of the thermoelectric generating device other well-known generating means, inlluenced by the pilot-burner llame, may be employed; as, for example, a conventional source of electricity controlled` by a thermal cut-out, or a photoelectric system responsive to the flame.

In Fig. 10, the plug valve 20 is in the condition shown in Figs. 1 5 and Figs. 8, 8a; the handle-lug 50 being adjacent pin 37. Since flame is shown at the pilot burner, the valve 21 is energized and in open condition; the valve 73 being either open or closed depending upon the condition of thermostat 81, however, no fuel can now pass to the main burner since the main plug-opening 26 is in flow-averting position. To establish normal operation of the burner system, the valve plug is rotated in a counterclockwise direction through to the position of Figs. 7, 7a; the valve 73 then automatically controlling fuel flow to the main burner in accordance with the requirements of the thermostat. If it is desired to completely discontinue operation of the system (as during a season when heating is not required), the plug is turned to the position of Figs. 6, 6a so that ow through both sections of the plug valve is obstructed; the valves 73 and 21 also closing due to the resultant cessation of generation of electricity by the thermoelectric device 78 -when the pilot ame 77 is extinguished, so that positive shut-olf of the fuel is ensured.

In the event that during normal operation of the system (with plug in Figs. 7, 7a position) the pilot-burner ame is extinguished, both of the valves 73 and 21 close as described above. To light the pilot burner and thereby reinitiate operation of the system, the plug is rotated to the position of Figs. 8, 8a and then slightly beyond that position (in clockwise direction) to elect opening of the by-pass valve 33' by the handle-lug 50; fuel ow to the main burner then being obstructed not only due to the fact that valve 73 is deenergized, but also due to the flow-evening position of the main plug-opening as shown in broken lines in Fig. 8a. The by-pass valve 33' is maintained in open position Yfor an interval, following relighting of the pilot burner by any convenient means, long enough to permit generation of electricity by the device 78 in an amount suicient to eeet automatic opening of the valve 21 (which opening is evidenced by an audible clic whereupon the plug-valve handle is released and returns (under the force of the bias spring of valve 33') to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. free return of the handle being permitted by the lost-motion connection between it and the plug. If normal or automatic operation of the system is then desired, the plug is rotated back to the position of Figs. 7, 7a as described in the preceding paragraph. By the series arrangement of the valves 20 and 73 in conduit 71 fuel flow to the main burner is obstructed if either of these valves is closed, and it is to be understood that their order of arrangement in the conduit can be reversed without in any way aiecting the operation of the systemas by removing valve 73 from conduit 71 and connecting it in conduit 71 between the main burner and valve 20.

In the combination valve structure of Fig. 11, the plug valve 20 is identical in construction with that shown in the preceding figures; the electromagnetic valve, indicated here by the numeral 21', being the same as valve 21 except in regard to the outlet passage which in valve 21 is enlarged to provide a chamber 61 the bottom wall of which is formed by a eXible diaphragm 8S clamped at its margin to the casing by a switching device generally indicated by the numeral 86. Inasmuch as this switching device is of conventional construction and forms, per se, no part of the present invention, it suffices to state that when the actuating button 87 is moved downwardly by gas pressure in chamber 61' acting through the medium of the diaphragm 85, a bridging element 88 is snapped into engagement with contacts 89, and when the pressure is reduced a reverse action occurs.

The burner control system shown in Fig. 12 includes the modified combination-valve-structure of Fig. 11 and differs from the system of Fig. 10, in other respects, only by the provision of a separate source of electricity for energizing the coil 80 of valve 73. In Fig. 12, the thermoelectric generating device 78 is shown connected to the coil 68 of valve 21', only, by wires 90; separate Wires 91, having terminals 92 for the ordinary electricservice source, connecting the thermostat 81 to the coil 80 of valve 73 in series with the contacts 89 of the switching device 86.

The operation of the system of Fig. 12 is, in eiect, the same as that of the system of Fig. 10, since upon extinguishment of the pilot-burner llame, and resultant closing of valve 21', the valve 73 is deenergized due to the opening of contacts 89. It is to be observed that in Fig. 11 the switching device 86 is in normal or open condition, while in Fig. 12 it is shown as being closed due to the existence of gas pressure in chamber 61.

The systems of Figs. 13 and 14 are similar to each other and each includes a plug valve, indicated at 20 in these figures, which differs from the plug valve 20 only in the fragmentary portion of its casing 22', shown in Fig. 15, wherein the outlet passage 31 and passage 36 are each provided with a threaded connection 93 and 94, respectively. The systems of Figs. 13 and 14 diler essentially from those of Figs. and 12 mainly by the omission of the pilot-burner control valves 21 and 21 of those figures; the valve 73 being arranged to control supply of gas to both the main burner and the pilot burner, and serving as a 100% safety shut-off. For that purpose, the inlet passage 30 of the upper section of the plug valve is connected by a pipe 95 to the conduit 71 at the downstream side of valve 73; the connection 94 (here, the inlet connection) of ball-valve 33 being joined to the conduit 71 ahead of valve 73 by another pipe 96. Hence, when valve 73 is closed, gas can be supplied to the pilot burner only by manual opening of valve 33. The systems of Figs. 13 and 14 are associated with a boiler (assumed to be heated bythe main burner 72) of which a fragmentary wall-section is indicated at 97.

In Fig. 13, the thermoeleetric generating device 78 is connected by wires 98 directly to the coil 80 of valve 73, so that only in the event of extinguishment of the pilotburner flame does the valve 73 close to effect the 100% shut-01T. Connected in the pilot-burner supply pipe 75 is a thermostatic Valve 99, of conventional construction, which is mounted in an opening through the boiler-wall 97; this valve serving to shut-olf the pilot-burner gas supply in the event that the boiler temperaturereaches a dangerously high limit, so that Athe system is then rendered inoperative due to the extinguishment of the pilotburner flame.

In Fig. 14, there is shown, mounted in an opening through the boiler-wall 97, a compound thermostatic device 100 which may be the same as that disclosed in my Patent No. 2,312,479 of March 2, 1943. This device comprises a thermal bulb 101 operatively connected by a capillary tube 162 to a pressure-operated valve 103 inserted in conduit 71 between the main burner and the valves 20' and 73; the device also comprising a bimetallic thermostat 104 responsive to the temperature of the thermal bulb and hence also to that of the boiler. The thermoelectric generating device 78 of Fig. 14 is connected by wires to the coil 80 of valve 73 in series with the contacts of thermostat 104. The units of the thermostatic device 10i) are so adjusted that the valve 103 is operated between open and closed positions to normally effect maintenance of desired temperature in the boiler; the contacts of thermostat 104 opening only in the event that the boiler temperature rises above a safe limit, whereupon the system is rendered inoperative due to the resultant closing of valve 73 and extinguishment ol the pilot-burner flame.

In the systems of Figs. 13 and 14 the relighting of the pilot burner (while flow to the main burner is positively prevented) is accomplished in the same manner as described in connection with the systems of Figs. l0 and 12; gas being temporarily supplied to the pilot burner, when ball-valve 33 is opened, through by-pass pipe 96 and the outlet passage 31 (represented in Figs. 13 and 14 by a pipe 31) of the plug valve; the supply then being by way of pipe 95 and the recess 29 of the plug valve when valve 73 opens in response to the heating of the thermoelectric generating device.

The valve structure of my present invention, herein shown and described, is obviously susceptible of modification Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I intend therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a Valve structure: a main valve comprising a plug rotatable to open and closed controlling positions; a momentarily operable supplementary valve having an open and a closed controlling position, said supplementary valve having actuating means and including a spring biasing the supplementary valve to one of its controlling positions and said actuating means to unactuated position; handle means for rotating said plug and including a part operatively engageable, only when the plug is rotated to a given one of said controlling positions, with said actuating means so that continued rotation of the handle means while the plug is in said given position elfects movement of the actuating means against the force of said spring and operation of the supplementary valve to the other of its controlling positions; and a lost-motion connection between the handle means and the plug permitting such relative rotation of the same that, following said operation of the supplementary valve, the handle means can rotate freely under the force of said spring acting through said actuating means, without eitecting rotation of the plug, to its previous position wherein the supplementary valve is again in its biased position.

2. In a valve structure: a main valve comprising a plug rotatable to open and closed controlling positions; a momentarily operable supplementary valve having an open and a closed controlling position, said supplementary valve having actuating means and including a spring biasing the supplementary valve to closed position and said actuating means to unactuated position; handle means for rotating said plug and including a part operatively engageable, only when the plug is rotated to closed position, with said actuating means so that continued rotation of the handle means while the plug is in said closed position effects movement of the actuating means against the force of said spring and operation of the supplementary valve to open position; and a lost-motion connection between the handle means and the plug permitting such relative rotation of 'the same that, following said operation of the supplemetnary v'alve, the handle means can rotate freely under the force of said spring acting through Vsaid actuating means, without electing rotation of the plug, to its previous position wherein the supplementary valve is again in its closed position. v

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 970,062 Lake Sept. 30, 1910 1,762,038 Thekan e June 3, 1930 2,499,318 Jungerhans Feb. 28, 1950 

